News Production Playout Facilities for South TV Ethiopia

News Production Playout Facilities for South TV Ethiopia

Technology Partners

The client’s challenge

SMMA is the government entity responsible for delivering local radio and TV services to the South Nations, Nationalities & People’s Region (SNNPR) of Ethiopia – a population of approximately 16 million people. South TV, the regional TV broadcaster, was established to support and develop a strong regional identity, providing news and entertainment with a focus on local cultures. However, the broadcaster’s existing analogue TV services offered viewers only a few hours of local programming per day, with production tape-based and content transmitted from Addis Ababa. In 2011 the decision was made to strengthen South TV’s offering with the launch of free-to-air HD services. The objective was to deliver 18 hours of daily local news and entertainment, transmitted in both SD and HD from new playout facilities in the region’s capital Hawassa.

The PBS Solution

Following an international tender, SMMA awarded PBS the contract to design, supply and build HD news production and transmission facilities for South TV in Hawassa. Our experienced team of solution architects and systems engineers designed and deployed a multi vendor solution supporting a mix of SD and HD operations with a complete fi le-based workflow from field acquisition, news editing, production, automated playout, storage and archive.
From requirements capture and workflow definition, system design, equipment and technical furniture specifi cation and procurement, system pre-fabrication at our facility in Sharjah UAE, on-site installation to commissioning and training, PBS provided end-to-end project management of the solution.

TECHNICAL OVERVIEW

Content Acquisition:

To capture locally produced content from across the region, 15 Panasonic P2 cameras have been deployed for field acquisition. The P2 card readers integrate to Avid edit suites to allow content to be directly imported to the editors’ timelines, and hence on to the central storage system or Archive platform – providing a smooth file-based workflow.
South TV’s legacy tape content, external live feeds and HD studio outputs are recorded onto Pebble Beach Dolphin servers, with all media files controlled by Pebble Beach’s Anchor Media Asset Management.

News production:

The Newsroom features MOS-workflow integration between Pebble Beach Neptune Automation, newsroom scripting from Octopus, Ross XPression graphics and virtual studio systems. Video editing is provided by 15 seats of Avid Media Composer with content managed within NetApp central storage.
The Octopus 7 Newsroom system is used to produce news scripts, stories and bulletin rundowns, played to air using Pebble Beach’s Neptune Automation that controls the Dolphin video servers operating within South TV’s HD studio, in a classic newsroom assisted automation mode. Graphics created directly by the journalists using templates stored on the Ross Project Server are synchronized with the scripts and rundown using MOS.

Playout:

Programme schedules created using Pebble Beach’s offline Playlist editor are used to drive the Anchor MAM system to ensure SD and HD transmission-ready content is pulled from either the NetApps central storage or DiskArchive ALTO digital archive. Material is cached on to a mirrored pair of Dolphin servers, providing a redundant main and back up playout channel.

BENEFITS DELIVERED

File-based HD Production Facilities for ORTV Ethiopia

File-based HD Production Facilities for ORTV Ethiopia

Technology Partners

The client’s challenge

Oromia Radio and Television Organization (ORTO) is the Mass Media Organization of the Oromia Regional State Government in Ethiopia. It operates one free-to-air Radio Station and one free-to-air Television Station, Oromia TV (ORTV). Base in Adama, ORTV has been on-air since 2006, providing a mix of regional news and entertainment programming.
In 2012, ORTO held an international tender to purchase equipment and services for new HD Studio facilities as part of the national analog to digital migration program.

The PBS Solution

Our experienced team of solution architects and systems engineers designed and deployed a multi-vendor solution supporting a mix of SD and HD operations, integrating with existing SD systems and new file-based infrastructure from another vendor. From system design, equipment specification and procurement, system pre-fabrication and on-site installation to commissioning and training, PBS provided end-to-end project management of the system, ensuring for peace of mind for the client.
From requirements capture and workflow definition, system design, equipment and technical furniture specifi cation and procurement, system pre-fabrication at our facility in Sharjah UAE, on-site installation to commissioning and training, PBS provided end-to-end project management of the solution.

TECHNICAL OVERVIEW

The Studio:

The new studio facility featured five Panasonic HD Cameras all equipped with Autocue prompters and a complete set of 72 studio lights from ADB & ARRI, managed by a 120-channel control desk. To provide a high-end studio environment, News Reading Desks from Custom Consoles were installed along with three Showtex track cyclo curtains. The end result was a studio set aligned with ORTV’s high expectations, which has transformed the channel’s image to its viewers.

Production Control:

At the centre of production control, PBS deployed a Ross Vision video switcher, Xpression graphics and a 144×144 multi-definition router. The new system integrates to existing operations to provide both SD and HD output and by using P2 technology from Panasonic, the broadcaster has been able to make the transition from tape to an efficient file-based workflow. The delivered solution has transformed the channels programming capability and provided tools to enhance the creativity of operational staff.

Portable Production System:

Employing technologies from Datavideo, Panasonic and Vislink, PBS also delivered a complete cost-effective ‘plug n play’ portable production system, which integrates into the broadcaster’s file-based workflow. Using this together with an existing flight-case system, ORTV can deploy its team, gather news and deliver it live from anywhere within the country.

BENEFITS DELIVERED

“This system has elevated our capabilities as a broadcaster & we do believe that we’re now ready to be part of the analog to digital migration.”
Habtamu Dargie,
Technical Director, ORTV

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Outside Broadcast Vehicles

Our team is experienced in the design & build of a range of Outside Broadcast systems, from small DSNG units to large multi-camera live production trailers. We understand the demands of live OB production & provide systems that are reliable in the field & ergonomically designed for optimum performance & operator comfort. Whether you require a new coach-build or to upgrade or refurbish existing vehicles, PBS can get your operations on the road on time and on budget.

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MCR, Transmission and Archive

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News

February 2021

PBS understands the challenges broadcasters face as they strive to meet the demands of 24-hour news operations. We design & deliver systems that fulfill all aspects of news delivery, from file-based workflow to live transmission, supporting all types of operation from 24/7 news channels, flagship news programmes to channels with just a few bulletins per day. We integrate the latest technology to deliver both live & automated content across multiple platforms.